TY - JOUR A1 - Grad, Marius A1 - Nadammal, Naresh A1 - Schultheiss, Ulrich A1 - Lulla, Philipp A1 - Noster, Ulf T1 - An Integrative Experimental Approach to Design Optimization and Removal Strategies of Supporting Structures Used during L-PBF of SS316L Aortic Stents JF - Applied Sciences N2 - One of the fundamental challenges in L-PBF of filigree geometries, such as aortic stents used in biomedical applications, is the requirement for a robust yet easily removable support structure that allows each component to be successfully fabricated without distortion. To solve this challenge, an integrative experimental approach was attempted in the present study by identifying an optimal support structure design and an optimized support removal strategy for this design. The specimens were manufactured using four different support structure designs based on the geometry exposed to the laser beam during the L-PBF. Support removal procedures included sand blasting (SB), glass bead blasting (GB), and electrochemical polishing (ECP). The two best-performing designs (line and cross) were chosen due to shorter lead times and lower material consumption. As an additional factor that indicates a stable design, the breaking load requirement to remove the support structures was determined. A modified line support with a 145° included angle was shown to be the best support structure design in terms of breaking load, material consumption, and manufacturing time. All three procedures were used to ensure residue-free support removal for this modified line support design, with ECP proving to be the most effective. Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-25612 N1 - Corresponding author: Marius Grad VL - 11 IS - 19 SP - 1 EP - 22 PB - MPDL ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Tröger, Johannes A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Automated weld seam evaluation and 2D simulation parameter calibration for absorber-free laser transmission welding T2 - Lasers in Manufacturing Conference (LIM 2023), 26. Juni bis 29. Juni 2023, München N2 - Absorber-free laser transmission welding enables clean and precise joining of plastics without additives or adhesives. It is therefore well suited to produce optical and medical devices, which place high demands on cleanliness and accuracy. However, the weld usually has an undesirably large vertical expansion, causing bulges and distortion. To improve this, the intensity distribution of the laser beam as well as the processing strategy must be adapted. Due to the complexity, this is aided by process simulation. However, simulation parameter calibration and verification are usually done considering the seam width and height, which is of limited significance. To overcome this, we propose a new method for image processing of microtome sections, determining the spatially resolved geometry of the weld. Thus, the deviation between experiment and simulation can be calculated pixel by pixel. This spatially resolved value is predestined for the calibration of the simulation parameters: For a parameter field with 18 different settings, the total deviation between experiment and simulation is less than 11 % after calibration. KW - plastics welding KW - image processing KW - simulation KW - optimization Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.wlt.de/sites/default/files/2023-09/Contribution_122.pdf PB - Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft Lasertechnik und Photonik e.V. (WLT) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grad, Marius A1 - Nadammal, Naresh A1 - Tytko, Darius A1 - Noster, Ulf T1 - On the nanoindentation behavior of a TiC layer formed through thermo-reactive diffusion during hot pressing of Ti and cast iron JF - Materials Letters: X N2 - Hot pressing of pure Ti and cast iron under vacuum formed a ~15 μm wide TiC-layer through the thermoreactive diffusion process. Nanoindentation testing of the TiC-layer revealed average hardness and elastic modulus values of ~35 GPa and ~400 GPa, respectively. High-resolution indentation mapping indicated hardness change across the boundary with peak values observed within the TiC-layer. Solid state high temperature diffusion holds significant potential for developing uniform hard coatings on pure Ti/Ti-alloys. KW - Titanium alloys KW - Hard coating KW - Nanoindentation KW - Electron backscatter diffraction Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-50066 SN - 2590-1508 N1 - Corresponding author: Marius Grad VL - 15 IS - September SP - 1 EP - 4 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam, Niederlande ER - TY - GEN A1 - Grad, Marius A1 - Hahn, Konstantin A1 - Noster, Ulf A1 - Spieß, Lothar T1 - Increasing the lifetime of titanium implants through a diffusion-controlled surface treatment T2 - Thüringer Werkstofftag 2023, 14. März 2023, ILmenau Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.35933.59360 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Meisner, Dennis A1 - Kaftiranis, Nikitas A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Rapp, Petra A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Enhancing Layer Adhesion in Material Extrusion AM with Adaptive Laser Preheating Integrated in Printhead T2 - LiM Conference 2025, Lasers in Manufacturing, June 23 - 26, 2025, Munich, Germany N2 - Material extrusion is a widely used AM process and is gaining more acceptance in industry applications due to its material variety, flexibility, and low cost. However, its usage is limited by a process-related anisotropy caused by insufficient interlayer bonding due to reduced temperature in the process zone. To enhance layer adhesion, an adaptive laser preheating system is integrated in a conventional printhead around the extrusion nozzle. The setup with eight fiber coupled diode laser allows preheating in feed direction and investigation of various intensity profiles. The article describes the experimental setup and significant improvements achieved. Laser preheating with different intensity distributions (spot, sickle or ring shaped) show an incasement of up to 85 % of the mechanical properties in the build-up direction. However, due to the additional energy input by the laser, controlled cooling of the workpiece becomes a crucial factor and is investigated as well. Y1 - 2025 UR - https://www.wlt.de/lim-conference PB - Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft Lasertechnik und Photonik e.V. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wiesent, Lisa A1 - Schultheiß, Ulrich A1 - Lulla, Philipp A1 - Nonn, Aida A1 - Noster, Ulf T1 - Mechanical properties of small structures built by selective laser melting 316 L stainless steel – a phenomenological approach to improve component design JF - Materials Science & Engineering Technology JF - Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik N2 - Experimental investigations are conducted to quantify the influence of specimen thickness and orientation on the mechanical properties of selective laser melted stainless steel 316 L. The results indicate that the mechanical strength and ductility increase with increasing specimen thickness until a saturation value is reached from a specimen thickness of about 2 mm. Specimen orientation dependency is pronounced for thin specimens (<1.5 mm), whereas only small deviations in strength are observed for thicker specimens with orientations of 30°, 45° and 90° to build direction. The mechanical properties of the specimen orientation of 0° to build direction shows great deviation to the other orientations and the smallest overall strength. A reliable design of selective laser melted components should account for specimen thickness and orientation, e. g. by a correction factor. Furthermore, it is recommended to avoid loads vertical (90°) and parallel (0°) to build direction to guarantee higher ductility and strength. T2 - Mechanische Eigenschaften von kleinen Strukturen aus selektiv lasergeschmolzenem 316 L Edelstahl – ein phänomenologischer Ansatz zur Verbesserung des Bauteildesigns Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-14718 N1 - Corresponding author: Lisa Wiesent VL - 51 IS - 12 SP - 1615 EP - 1629 PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wiesent, Lisa A1 - Schultheiß, Ulrich A1 - Lulla, Philipp A1 - Noster, Ulf A1 - Schratzenstaller, Thomas A1 - Schmid, Christof A1 - Nonn, Aida A1 - Spear, Ashley T1 - Computational analysis of the effects of geometric irregularities and post-processing steps on the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured 316L stainless steel stents JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Advances in additive manufacturing enable the production of tailored lattice structures and thus, in principle, coronary stents. This study investigates the effects of process-related irregularities, heat and surface treatment on the morphology, mechanical response, and expansion behavior of 316L stainless steel stents produced by laser powder bed fusion and provides a methodological approach for their numerical evaluation. A combined experimental and computational framework is used, based on both actual and computationally reconstructed laser powder bed fused stents. Process-related morphological deviations between the as-designed and actual laser powder bed fused stents were observed, resulting in a diameter increase by a factor of 2-2.6 for the stents without surface treatment and 1.3-2 for the electropolished stent compared to the as-designed stent. Thus, due to the increased geometrically induced stiffness, the laser powder bed fused stents in the as-built (7.11 ± 0.63 N) or the heat treated condition (5.87 ± 0.49 N) showed increased radial forces when compressed between two plates. After electropolishing, the heat treated stents exhibited radial forces (2.38 ± 0.23 N) comparable to conventional metallic stents. The laser powder bed fused stents were further affected by the size effect, resulting in a reduced yield strength by 41% in the as-built and by 59% in the heat treated condition compared to the bulk material obtained from tensile tests. The presented numerical approach was successful in predicting the macroscopic mechanical response of the stents under compression. During deformation, increased stiffness and local stress concentration were observed within the laser powder bed fused stents. Subsequent numerical expansion analysis of the derived stent models within a previously verified numerical model of stent expansion showed that electropolished and heat treated laser powder bed fused stents can exhibit comparable expansion behavior to conventional stents. The findings from this work motivate future experimental/numerical studies to quantify threshold values of critical geometric irregularities, which could be used to establish design guidelines for laser powder bed fused stents/lattice structures. KW - Heat treatment KW - Lasers KW - Surface treatments KW - Specimen preparation and treatment KW - Material properties KW - Stiffness KW - Deformation KW - Powders KW - Koronarendoprothese KW - Rapid prototyping KW - Numerische Methode Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244463 N1 - Corresponding author: Lisa Wiesent VL - 15 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 30 PB - PLOS ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Englmaier, Stephan A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Online pyrometry for weld seam localization in absorber-free laser transmission welding of transparent polymers JF - Journal of Laser Micro/Nanoengineering N2 - Production of optical and medical devices makes high demands on cleanliness, precision, visual appearance and reliability. Advantages of laser transmission welding – contactless input of energy, high precision, no adhesives and no particle formation – can be fully exploited for this use. For absorber-free welding, lasers emitting in the polymers’ intrinsic absorption spectrum between 1.6 μm and 2 μm are used. Focusing the laser beam with high NA provides large intensity gradients inside the specimen and enables selective fusing of the joining zone without affecting the surface. Since a molten upper surface leads to visible and palpable irregularities and causes warpage, the verticalexpansion of the weld seam is crucial. To meet the high quality and reliability required in the medical and optical industry, online monitoring of the seam is necessary. The aim of this work is the localization and evaluation of the weld seam using pyrometry. First, the emitted thermal radiation is computed, enabling signal analysis regarding origin and spectrum. Thus, assessment of measurement spectrum and forecast of the signal in dependence on seam shape and position is possible. Finally, welding tests with Topas 8007-04 are performed at 200 mm/s feed rate and monitored with 100 kHz. The comparison of tracked data with thin-cuts demonstrates that weld seam localization by pyrometry is possible, enabling online assessment of the process. KW - Laserdurchstrahlschweissen KW - Kunststoff KW - Transparenz KW - Schweißnaht KW - Wärmestrahlung KW - Pyrometrie KW - Prozessüberwachung Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2961/jlmn.2021.01.2002 SN - 1880-0688 VL - Vol. 16 IS - 1 SP - 8 EP - 13 PB - Japan Laser Processing Society ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Englmaier, Stephan A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Online pyrometry for weld seam localization in absorber-free laser transmission welding of transparent polymers T2 - 21st International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication: Dresden, 26.06.2020 N2 - Optical and medical devices made of transparent polymers are gaining popularity because of its cost advantages. The manufacturing technology must be able to meet the high demands of these applications. Advantages of laser transmission welding – contactless input of energy, precision, no adhesives and no particle formation – can be exploited here. For absorber-free welding, lasers emitting in the polymers‘ intrinsic absorption spectrum are used. Focusing the laser beam with high NA enables selective fusing of the joining zone. Since a molten upper surface leads to visible and palpable irregularities, the lateral expansion of the weld seam is monitored in this work. Welding tests with 1 mm thick plates of COC are performed and monitored by pyrometry. Distances between seam and surface measured in thin cuts and are compared with the pyrometer signal. This shows that the localization of the weld seam is possible and proper and faulty parts can be distinguished by pyrometry. KW - Laserdurchstrahlschweissen KW - Kunststoff KW - Transparenz KW - Schweißnaht KW - Wärmestrahlung KW - Pyrometrie KW - Prozessüberwachung Y1 - 2020 UR - http://www.jlps.gr.jp/en/proc/lpm/20/073.pdf PB - Japan Laser Processing Society ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Pyrometerbasierte Prozessüberwachung beim Laserkunststoffschweißen JF - Photonik KW - Laserschweissen KW - Kunststoff KW - Prozessüberwachung KW - Pryrometer Y1 - 2020 IS - 52 SP - 22 EP - 25 PB - AT-Fachverl. CY - Fellbach ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Käsbauer, Johannes A1 - Schmailzl, Anton A1 - Prehm, Jens A1 - Loose, Tobias A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Simulation of Quasi-Simultaneous Laser Transmission Welding of Plastics BT - Optimization of Material Parameters in Broad Temperature Range T2 - Procedia CIRP N2 - Thermo-mechanical simulation offers great opportunities to optimize welding processes of plastics. For realistic simulation, the temperature dependent mechanical properties need to be implemented from ambient temperature to temperatures above the flow temperature. Standard test methods are insufficient for characterization in the entire temperature range because close to the flow temperature the material is too soft for tensile tests and too stiff for rheometry. Therefore, an optimization strategy is developed, that determines unknown material parameters by testing in welding simulations. The unknown parameters are iteratively adjusted to minimize the mismatch between computed and measured set-paths. Thus, important process characteristics are calculated realistically, enabling the computer aided assessment of the weld quality. KW - plastics welding KW - simulation KW - material modelling KW - optimization KW - parameterization KW - Kunststoffschweißen KW - Thermomechanische Eigenschaft KW - Simulation Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2020.09.136 VL - 94 SP - 737 EP - 741 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Maiwald, Frederik A1 - Englmaier, Stephan A1 - Hierl, Stefan T1 - Absorber-free Laser Transmission Welding of Transparent Polymers using Fixed Focus Optics and 3D Laser Scanner T2 - Procedia CIRP N2 - Laser transmission welding is a well-known joining technology for thermoplastics, providing reliable and hermetical sealing without adhesives or particle formation. The main advantages of laser-based energy input - high precision, no additional adhesive and no particle emission - are essential for medical and optical applications. To obtain sufficient absorption in visually transparent polymers, thulium fibre lasers emitting in the polymers’ intrinsic absorption spectrum are used. Optics with high numerical aperture provide large intensity gradients inside the specimen, enabling selective fusing in the joining zone. Although the basic feasibility has already been demonstrated, the welding process lacks stability and productivity. Aim of this work is the determination of optimized settings for a fast and reliable welding process. Thus, the interplay of process parameters as well as their impact on the seam are analysed by thermal simulations. Calculated settings are verified by welding tests with COC, PA6 and PETG, using a fixed-focus optics and a 3D laser scanner with up to 200 mm/s feed rate. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2020.09.117 VL - 94 SP - 686 EP - 690 PB - Elsevier ER -